On Thu, Dec 12, 2024 at 08:25 AM, Bob Werre wrote:
You are doubly? correct about Enhorning because they can still live under different names.? I've never run my BN unit but my understanding was that the drive was pretty weak.?
The drive was adequate for the cars Atlas offered.? The cars were relatively thin plastic, had plastic trucks, wheels, a sort of Lionel-compatible coupler and had no weights (or no serious weights) as I recall.? It was hard to see which market Atlas was striving for, but it apparently missed the mark with both 2-rail and 3-rail guys.
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Still, the F9's were $30.00 (Atlas HO locomotives were $25.00 back then) and the freight cars were $7.00 apiece, $8.00 for the caboose.? Ore cars and bobber caboose were $5.00, the Plymouth MDT switcher was $20.00.? Plus track was offered.? So, a person could get introduced to O scale for a modest investment.
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Rich G(ajnak)
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The Roco rolling stock was pretty good for its time--the 1970s. I used to carry a small amount of O scale in my hobby shop back in the 90s. IIRC, there was the aforementioned ore car, a mill gon, and a PS-1 boxcar plus the EV caboose and F unit. The mechanism of the F was on the level of Tyco's single-truck HO F-7. The thing that really started the revival of O was the advent of Intermountain's 1937 AAR boxcar, quickly followed by a steel reefer, and ultimately a GP-9. The latter was highly detailed and made the Weaver FAs and RSs look pretty plain. P&D specialized in after-market drives for all of those units, plus super detail kits.?
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Jerry Porter's HO version of the 1937 AAR boxcar really pushed the state of the art forward. He and Jon Verser were partners at some point, and Jon brought out the '37 AAR boxcar in S. In those days, the movement toward China was in its infancy and Intermountain tooled the HO, S, and O cars in Longmont, CO.?
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Brian Jackson
Springfield, IL
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I suspect the tab is as thick as it is due to casting requirements. A friend of mine that does casting tells me that a long thin part makes it difficult to get the molten metal to flow all the way through. I am going to redraw the part for new masters. I will get together with a buddy that casts in brass and see what he thinks.
-Michael Eldridge
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Calamity Jane visits area
I tune into a group about South Dakota and it's
history.? In this case the old West character of Calamity Jane
is mentioned.? If anybody recalls I have featured many of the
names in my RR--Deadwood, Lead and Mystic have been shown in my
photos.? Wild Bill, Calamity Jane and several others are buried
in the Deadwood Cemetery in downtown.? I guarantee it's the
steepest place on earth to bury somebody!? here is a news
article about her--I didn't see a pub date however:
 Last evening¡¯s train brought
to the city one of the Black Hills, most noted characters, in
the person of Mrs. Burke, better known as ¡°Calamity Jane.¡± A
very old resident of the Black Hills remembers her as she
appeared in the early days and last evening she was around
calling upon all old timers. Calamity? Jane resided in Rapid
City a portion of 1878 and thus is her first visit to the city
since that time. She remembers all of the residents of the city
from that time and made inquiry after many that had almost
passed out of remembrance. Calamity Jane was the same appearance
as when a former resident here, time having been lenient with
her she does not look a day older than when she was a familiar
figure upon our streets. On all hands, she was greeted with
words of welcome from her old acquaintances, who remember the
many kind deeds she has done to those who were sick and in
distress in the early settlement of the Black Hills. Calamity
Jane will remain in the city a few days and dispose of pictures
taken of herself in buckskin costume in 1876, and with the
proceeds she intends to send her daughter to school. ?
Bob
Werre
PhotoTraxx
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Revised Smoky Mtn Model Works coupler boxes
My coupler boxes, designed to fit Kadee 802/805 and Inventive Models' couplers, have been converted to 3D resin-printing.? Only "grey" color is now available.? The web page has been edited accordingly and can be viewed here:
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Jim King
(828) 777-5619
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-- Jim King
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You are doubly? correct about Enhorning
because they can still live under different names.? I've never run
my BN unit but my understanding was that the drive was pretty
weak.? To that end, the folks at Red Caboose made a new drive for
those and sold the result RTR, but I believe it ended up being a
GP 7/9.? I photographed them for a RC ad dressed as a GN unit.?
And also I think it was P&D hobbies also was involved in
something similar--but that just speculation on my end!
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
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My first O "scale" (not O gauge ie Lionel) was one of those F
units. That purchase (at a train show in the early '80s) opened
the floodgates to my getting involved in 1:48 size.
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I think the basic platform is very..."do-able"; I have
acquired several more and on each I have altered either the
shell, drive train or both, just because.
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Atlas must have sold a bunch, as there are almost always some
for sale on eBay...
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Come to think of it, maybe they could be considered the
"Enhorning of O scale"; a good enough product that just didn't
quite make the cut.
?
Mark in Oregon
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My first O "scale" (not O gauge ie Lionel) was one of those F units. That purchase (at a train show in the early '80s) opened the floodgates to my getting involved in 1:48 size.
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I think the basic platform is very..."do-able"; I have acquired several more and on each I have altered either the shell, drive train or both, just because.
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Atlas must have sold a bunch, as there are almost always some for sale on eBay...
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Come to think of it, maybe they could be considered the "Enhorning of O scale"; a good enough product that just didn't quite make the cut.
?
Mark in Oregon
?
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Re: Bill's cool new parts for High Hood GP35
Payment sent Bill
Sent from my White?iPhone 5S
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On Dec 11, 2024, at 7:34?PM, Bill Lane via groups.io <bill@...> wrote:
? Some people have asked so I am offering some of my new parts for sale for a limited time to the first 10 replies. Parts to start making a high hood GP35 from a American Models GP35. The end result is something like this although the N&W 206 was not built by me... ? 4 fans and high hood nose piece = $50.00 + $6.00 for shipping to lower 48 state US addresses. If shipping more than $6.00 I will cover the difference. ? Add some American Models SD60 draft gear to the box for $10.00 each. I do have to confirm 1 dimension and possibly revise it. If you just want the SD60 draft gear include $6.00 for shipping. ? PayPal as friends n family to bill@... . Make sure your USPS shipping address is a part of the PayPal note ? ? ? ? Thank You,
Bill Lane
Modeling the Mighty Pennsy & PRSL in 1957 in S Scale since 1988
See my finished models at:
Look at what has been made in PRR in S Scale!
PRR Builders Photos Bought, Sold & Traded
(Trading is MUCH preferred)
?
***Join the PRR T&HS***
The other members are not ALL like me!
Join the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines Historical Society
It's FREE to join!??
Preserving The Memory Of The PRSL ? <20241211_200648.jpg> <20241211_200703.jpg> <20241204_183822.jpg>
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Mike,
Is the tab the spacer between the rails? ?If so, I think making the tab thinner and don¡¯t change its height so that that gap looks more prototypical.
Ben Trousdale?
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Mike, those are cool joiners.? If they cannot make the tab thinner, you might consider filing the bottom portion of the rail so that it overlaps the tab. It should?only?take a few swipes.
Thanks for sharing...
Dave K.
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Bill's cool new parts for High Hood GP35
Some people have asked so I am offering some of my new parts for sale for a limited time to the first 10 replies. Parts to start making a high hood GP35 from a American Models GP35. The end result is something like this although the N&W 206 was not built by me... ? 4 fans and high hood nose piece = $50.00 + $6.00 for shipping to lower 48 state US addresses. If shipping more than $6.00 I will cover the difference. ? Add some American Models SD60 draft gear to the box for $10.00 each. I do have to confirm 1 dimension and possibly revise it. If you just want the SD60 draft gear include $6.00 for shipping. ? PayPal as friends n family to bill@... . Make sure your USPS shipping address is a part of the PayPal note ? ? ? ? Thank You,
Bill Lane
Modeling the Mighty Pennsy & PRSL in 1957 in S Scale since 1988
See my finished models at:
Look at what has been made in PRR in S Scale!
PRR Builders Photos Bought, Sold & Traded
(Trading is MUCH preferred)
?
***Join the PRR T&HS***
The other members are not ALL like me!
Join the Pennsylvania Reading Seashore Lines Historical Society
It's FREE to join!??
Preserving The Memory Of The PRSL ?
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Apart from issues like ridiculous trucks and couplers, the biggest problem with the first Atlas O scale was the choice of prototype: who needs another F unit or an oversized six-wheel critter or a EV modern caboose (or an ore car)?
They were smarter the next time around: the first locomotive was the EMD SW-8/9 (also Don Thompson's first locomotive), their first rolling stock the ubiquitous ACF cylindrical covered hopper both of which were neither too modern nor too antiquated.? Their
current line might be considered a success, unlike the earlier one.
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I have a somewhat dust covered shelf above one corner of my layout containing a basic Atlas F unit and three cars.? One of our members had bought a bunch of those on the cheap, and I followed through by trading some away for credit.?
I kept the BN F unit and later added the BN caboose.? Maybe some-day I'll run it.? I also thought that just maybe I could then sell the rest at a profit--that's why I don't bet much!
Bob Werre
<Those were made by Roco in the first short-lived iteration of Atlas O>
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I have a somewhat dust covered shelf
above one corner of my layout containing a basic Atlas F unit and
three cars.? One of our members had bought a bunch of those on the
cheap, and I followed through by trading some away for credit.? I
kept the BN F unit and later added the BN caboose.? Maybe some-day
I'll run it.? I also thought that just maybe I could then sell the
rest at a profit--that's why I don't bet much!
Bob Werre
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<Those were made by Roco in the first
short-lived iteration of Atlas O>
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Re: Today¡¯s S Scale project
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On Dec 10, 2024, at 1:37?PM, Bob Werre via groups.io <bob@...> wrote:
?
Gentlemen, I'll testify that Mike knows
how to solder seams in "tender makin--senior Class".? When I was
switching from Dynatrol to DCC, I was attempting to remove a large
receiver from the tender wall of my custom made Mikado (yes the
same one in the NASG/RMC ad).? The double stick foam tape I used
was way too strong so I ended up breaking the seams to the point
of turning it back into random parts.? Mike took on the
responsibility of making everything one piece again!?
Bob Werre
Phototraxx
Today I sat down and started to build the tender for the
Mutt. I did take some photos as I went today to post to those
that are following the build. The wrapper is a photo etching
from SSL&S and the deck is a stamping. I had never seen a
photo etched wrapper from SSL&S and was very surprised at
all its details etched into it. I did fabricated the floor, coal
bunker front of coal bunker and top of the water legs. The deck
needed fabrication also to fit how I wanted it to go on the
wrapper.
?
This project did not take long since I knew what I wanted and
have learned from my mistakes building other tenders. I have
just under a full day in it to the point in the pictures. To
some modelers dismay, I don't use sophisticated tools to make my
tenders. Since I get asked often as to what I use to cut brass
sheet or bending I took a couple pictures of the paper cutter
and two wood blocks. I also use a Pana Vise.? The parts were
soldered with 446F solder paste <IMG_4424.jpg> using
a torch.? ?
The deck was soldered first from inside, then the floor was
soldered in from the bottom. Next was the front coal bunker
between the two water legs. All my tenders have removable coal
sheets to give access to the inside of the tender for any wiring
for lights, DCC decoders and sound speakers. Latter if I did put
a speaker in the tender that is when I would cut the appropriate
hole in the floor.? ?The Coal sheet was made to sit on the front
of the coal bunker between the water legs and the back of the
tender deck. Then the water leg tops as one piece were made to
tie everything together in front and then soldered in place. The
tender shell is now sound tight and ready for detailing. There
will be two holes drilled in the bottom coming up through the
frame into the tender floor to attach the frame and shell
together. Everything is always kept removable. As I have built
enough of my own to know that keeping it easy to take apart for
maintenance is key in designing and building from the
beginning.?
?
I forgot to say that all the needed brass was precleaned
before starting the project. This made soldering prep easier.
Once done the tender shell went into a bath of Simple Green full
strength for five minutes in a heated sonic cleaner. This got
all the fluxes and excess solder off and out of the inside of
the tender shell. Rinsed in water and that is what you see in
the pictures. I most likely will not get back to the tender for
several days.?
?
?
?
?
?
?
--
Mike Swederska
Meramec Valley Lines
Modeling Mopac equipment in 3/16
Don't let perfection get in the way of good enough! Keep model
railroading fun!
--
Mike Swederska
Meramec Valley Lines
Modeling Mopac equipment in 3/16
Don't let perfection get in the way of good enough! Keep model railroading fun!
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Re: Stan Stokrocki's Layout Photos
The group might be interested to learn that Bill Lane's sharing of photos he took of Stan's layout led to Stan's layout being featured in an NASG ad in RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN early next year and a different photo of Stan's layout has been submitted to MODEL RAILROADER for use in Trackside Photos, hopefully sometime in 2025.? Thanks to Bill and Stan for participating in these two NASG promotional efforts!
Brooks Stover
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Here¡¯s how I built the doghouse kit that I still have some to sell if anybody wants some. It¡¯s a metal welded dog house that would go on the back tender of any railroads locomotive. Yes it is a model of a Mopac, but it¡¯s still pretty generic.
Mike Swederska
--
Mike Swederska
Meramec Valley Lines
Modeling Mopac equipment in 3/16
Don't let perfection get in the way of good enough! Keep model railroading fun!
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Re: Stan Stokrocki's Layout Photos
Download and install the free VLC Media player to play Bill's videos. There are several different format "interpretations" of .mp4 files, and updates sometimes intentionally or unintentionally conflict with installed software. The VLC Media player does play
Bill's videos once I installed it on my Windows 7, 10, and 11 systems.
Terry O'Kelly
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Group,
Some of you had problems downloading and/or viewing the content of Bill
Lane's .zip file of photos and videos he took while visiting Stan's
layout recently.
As part of yesterday's update of the NASG web site, those photos are now
on the web site. I've grouped them in a manner that one would see if one
were visiting the layout in person (I try to do that with all layout
photos).
For some bizarre reason, I cannot get Bill's videos (which are
excellent) to play in the web browsers I have tested them in (they don't
recognize the file formats, while they are just mp4 files). We have no
idea why that is happening, as there are 6 other layouts on the web site
that have one or more videos embedded in their pages, at least one of
which (Mike Berus') uses videos that Bill took. I'll continue to look
into a solution for this issue.
You can find the link by going to the NASG web site:
where the home page is one of the photos of Stan's layout, and then
clicking on the link in the photo description on the Welcome page.
- Peter.
--
Peter Vanvliet (info@...)
owner, Fourth Ray Software
Houston, Texas
?(personal
web site)
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<Those were made by Roco in the first short-lived iteration of Atlas O>
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On Wed, Dec 11, 2024 at 10:45 AM, hall7009@... wrote:
Yes, but the Atlas EV caboose goes back to 1971, saw a sample caboose at John Armstrongs.
?
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Those were made by Roco in the first short-lived iteration of Atlas O.? That product line lasted until 1973 while some items languished in the catalogs until the 80's. ?They were then known as the Atlas Tool Company, Inc.? Bev-Bel later picked up the line and offered them as undecorated kits.?
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Atlas rebranded itself as Atlas Model Railroad Company in early 90's, sticking with HO and N products.
?
Atlas had a new version with interior and 2 figures tooled in China when they returned to the O Scale & 3-rail O market in the late 90's under Atlas O LLC.?
?
Rich G(ajnak)
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I don't normally use rail joiners except to create a hinge for points in a switch. I bought these from Right-O-Way (). They are not listed in the catalog yet. I want to use these in switches to help transmit power to the point rails. I soldered the joiner to one rail and just slid the other in, so that it could slide when the points moved. I think they are made in nickle silver, although they are fairly soft. I think you can see in the photo that they slide onto the ends of the rails, with no part under the rails. There is a tab connecting the two halves that ends up between the rail ends. I'm going to ask if they can make the tab taller so the rail top is continuous. If you'd like to try these, send a note to jay@...?
They also have code 100 bolted frogs, which can save a lot of time making switches.
?
?
-Michael Eldridge
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Bob Werre
Mark Mugnai
SDL39FAN
Ben
Bill Lane
